Archive for the ‘Understanding Poverty’ Category

One of the founding principles of life in this country is that if you work hard, no matter your starting point, you can achieve the American Dream. In the final installment of our series North Carolina Voices: Understanding Poverty, host Melinda Penkava leads a discussion about the nature of the American Dream. Is it as attainable as it once was? Is it possible to rise out of poverty simply by working hard? Guests include: Noah Pickus, professor of public policy at Duke University; Andrea Harris, president of the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development; and Rick Martinez, editorial page columnist for the Raleigh News & Observer. Listener Call In. (59:00)

State Legislature Update: Host Melinda Penkava checks in with Laura Leslie, North Carolina Public Radio — WUNC’s Capitol Reporter. (12:00)

Education and Pursuing The American Dream: The less education a person has, the more likely they are to live below or near the poverty line. Is finishing high school a guarantee of a better life? Is a college degree a ticket out of poverty? Host Melinda Penkava leads a conversation about the link between poverty and education. Listener Call-In. (40:00)

Last year, federal social service agencies awarded $2 billion to faith-based organizations. The Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives officially recognizes the role of faith-based groups in social service work, but faith groups have always been involved in charity in the US. Host Melinda Penkava leads a conversation about the role of churches in poverty alleviation in North Carolina. When do people turn to their churches for help, and what kind of help are churches prepared to provide? Guests include: Bob Wineburg, professor of social work at UNC-Greensboro; Barbara Zelter, program associate at the North Carolina Council of Churches; and Odell Cleveland, president of the Welfare Reform Liaison Project in Greensboro. Listener Call-In. (59:00)

While the number of North Carolinians living in poverty has declined dramatically since the 1960s, there are still more than half a million rural people living in poverty today. Host Melinda Penkava leads a discussion about rural poverty in North Carolina: what’s changed, what’s remained the same, and how our strategies for addressing the conditions of poverty have evolved. Guests include Jason Gray, research and policy director with the Southern Rural Development Initiative; Al Delia, associate vice chancellor of Research Economic Development, and Community Engagement at East Carolina University; and Leslie Scott, director of the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship at the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. Listener Call-In. (59:00)

In America, your life expectancy is seven years shorter if you’re born into a family living beneath the poverty line. And, if you’re born into poverty and are uninsured, chances are you’ll live an even shorter life. Host Melinda Penkava speaks with Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Chris Conover, professor of public policy at Duke, about the epidemiology of poverty, health insurance and wellness. Listener Call-In. (54:00)

Commentary: Leza Wainwright, deputy director of the North Carolina Department of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, offers a commentary on the proposed change to the mental health services that are provided and delivered to children and families of North Carolina. (5:00)